Car-brake



2 Sheets- Sheet 1. F. STALDER.

(No Model.)

GAR BRAKE.

FIGJ. Patented Aug. 11, 1885.

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FIG]. 7 w M? M% f4 N PETERS, Plwko- (No Model.) 2 Sheets-=Sheet 2.

F. STALDER.

GAR BRAKEi No. 324,046. Patented Aug. 11, 1885.

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NITED STATES FREDRIOK STALDER, OF ALLEGHENY CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,046, dated August 11, 1885.

(No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRnnRroK STALDER, of Allegheny City, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Brakes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had.to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention consists in a special construction of brakes for street cars, which may be easily applied to the cars of any ordinary kind,

and may be used without changing or remov-,

ing the usnalbrakes now in common use, the main object of my invention being to stop the car quickly, and at any season of the year, and when there is ice on the ground or track.

My novel features will be readily seen from the following description and claim.

Figure l is a side elevation of the forward part of a street car having my improvement applied thereto; Fig. 2, a frontview of the same Fig. 3, a view of the under side of the car and of my improvements; Figs. 4 and 5, edge and bottom views enlarged, and Fig. 6 a rear view of the brake-shoe; Fig. 7, a detail showing in cross-section one form of rail and of a brakesole adapted for such form, and Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11 details showing a slight difference in arranging cross-stays.

Beneath the body of the car and at points a little forward of the front wheels I secure to the car-bottom in convenient positions metal brackets c a, having slots 1) therein, which curve downward and forward, and through these slots of both brackets I insert an iron bar or rod, 0, extending crosswise of the car, this rod, as hereinafter described, being thus adapted to have a forward or backward and an upward and downward movement. Rods or bars d connect severally with this bar near its ends, and for this purpose extend up into the brackets, and the lower ends of these rods (1 clasp or are loosely connected to another cross-bar or rod, 6. Strengthening stays or girders f f may extend from rod 0 to rod 6, as shown, thus constitutingwhat may be called a truss-frame. On and neareach end of the lower rod, 0?, are hung the swiveling-brakes or brake-shoes g g, the upturned toes g of which are linked by link-bars h h to a cross-rod, i, which has its supports or bearings in hangers or brackets j j, secured to the under side of the car-body. These brackets j are placed some distance forward of the brackets a a.

The cross rod 6 is connected, by means of a crank-arm, k, and a link, 70, thereon, to a crank-arm, l, on a vertical operating-shaft, m, at the front of the car, and which has a leverhandle, it, within reach of the driver, and by means of which the brake is worked. On the same cross-rod 2' are two other and similar crank-arms, 0 0, which are connected by linkrods pp with the cross bar 0.

The shoes 9 9 have iron or metallic soles 7', preferably rough on their under or acting face, and which are secured to the shoes by two or more bolts, so that they may be easily put on and off as occasion may require, in case of undue wear, or for any other cause.

A spring, 8, projecting above the dash-board of the car, serves to hold the lever-handle to place when the brakes are raised, to prevent their falling accidentally. By pulling the handle it is released from this detainingspring, in order to permit the operation of the brakes.

Instead of placing the diagonalstays ffto connect the rods c'and 0, they may be employed to connect the rod 43 and the shoes, as shown in Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11, the lower ends of these stays being in such case threaded and severally passing through a hole in the upright part g of one of the shoes, and being provided with anut, x. As the brakes are lowered and raised, this arrangement allows a little play of the stays f, relatively or incident to the movement of the shoes. The nuts afford a means for adjusting the stays.

The operation of the brakes is the same, whether the stays connect 0 and e, or rod i and the shoes, or rods 1 and c.

To operate this brake, (which I will here repeat may be put upon cars already supplied with brakes of ordinary construction, and may be used independently of them, or, if desired, at the same time with them,) the driver simply grasps the handle a and turns it partly around-say, from right to leftand this action, by means of the described rod and crank connections, pulls the rod 0 downward and forward in the curved slots or gnideways, which thus carries down the brake-shoes in front of the wheels, and so as to bear upon the trackrails. The rough under surfaces of these shoes thus powerfully and quickly arrest the motion of the car, and relieve the wheels and their axles from the strain usually imposed on them by the brakes in common use, and which bear directly on the peripheries of the wheels themselves.

Another advantage due to my construction is, that when the rails are covered with ice or snow, and consequently are very slippery, the shoes scrape and clear the tracks in advance of the forward wheels, so that the wheels are not likely to slip on the rails. In going down hill, when the track is icy, my device is therefore a great safeguard to prevent the cars gaining an impetus beyond the ability of the driver to control it.

If my brakes were so located as to bear upon the rails at points between the front and rear wheels of the cars, while they would be efficient in a measure, yet it will be evident that they could clear the track of ice, snow, or other matter in front of the front wheels-in other words, they could not serve both as trackclearers and also as brakes.

It will readily be seen that the shoes may be hung so that if desired in any case where the character of the roadway may make it advisable or practicable they may bear down on the asphalt or other roadway, either outside of the rails or inside of them between the tracks, or the shoes may be so shaped on their under face as to bear both upon the track and upon the ground or roadway.

It will also be observed that when the brakes are operated the guide-slots b compel an equal and simultaneous action of the brakes, both in forcing them down to their work and in raising them out of the way after the work is done, and that the weight of all the brakeframe and of the brakes or shoes is added to the power expended by the driver in arresting the motion of the car.

If the slots 1) were horizontal the brake could not be lowered or raised; it they were vertical, the brake would tend to drop when not needed, or to drop too suddenly, and would not be so easily lifted out of action after being used.

I claim-- 1. A brake for horse-cars having in combination brackets a, provided with slots Z), curvin g downward and forward, cross-bar 0, Working in such slots and adapted to be operated by link and crank connections from the platform of the car, and forming part of a brakeframe, and brake-shoes on such frame adapted to be forced down upon the rails forward of the front wheels, all substantially as set forth.

2. In combination, the slotted brackets a I), a brake'frame hung thereon, brake-shoes on said frame, links h, crank-rod 2', links 1), link k, and the operating crankshaft m, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In combination, the slotted brackets a b, a brake-frame, rod 1', brake-shoes hung and operating as described, and crossing stayrods connecting the shoes and the rod 1', all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

FRED RICK STA LDER.

Witnesses:

EDWARD ENGELMAN, CHAS. TRAUTMAN. 

